Boy
(I Need You)

“Boy (I Need You)” was sent to radio as the second single from Mariah's Charmbracelet album on February 3, 2003. “‘Boy (I Need You)’ was obviously based on the original Cam'ron record called ‘Oh Boy,’ which Just Blaze had produced,” Mariah explained. “Just Blaze is one of my favorite producers, he has a unique style and I really wanted to work with him. I wanted to do something similar to ‘Oh Boy’ and we got in the studio and we did a couple of songs together and then he was like, ‘Why don't you just do the original ‘Oh Boy’ and you do an R&B record on top of it?’ So many people have been wanting to do that, so it might as well be the original producer and me. I had a great time because Cam'ron came to Capri to do his vocals, it was a lot of fun making that record.”

Remixes

Just Blaze was in charge of the song's urban remix, which features Freeway and Dipset rappers Cam'ron, Juelz Santana and Jimmy Jones. Additional remixes were produced by the Copenhaniacs, Topnotch and Agent X, among others, while Australia got an exclusive remix by The Duke & MVP from Disco Montego.

Music Video

The music video for “Boy (I Need You)” was directed by Joseph Kahn and made its debut on January 2, 2003 on MTV's Making The Video. “Working with Joseph on this particular video I think it's something that is going to be a really special experience for me and he seems really enthusiastic,” Mariah said. The music video, shot between Japan and Los Angeles, saw the return of Mariah's alter ego — Bianca. “The concept of the video is a Tokyo pop concept,” director Joseph Kahn explained. “I've done concepts like this before, but this is different because this is a retro-futuristic Japanese pop video. It has more to do with Speed Racer and Godzilla and basically what used to be the perception of the future back in the sixties.”

Releases

Europe

“Boy (I Need You)” was released on March 31, 2003, in Europe. The CD Single includes the Album Version and the Remix featuring Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Jimmy Jones and Freeway. The first CD Maxi Single was an Enhanced CD including the Album Version of “Boy (I Need You),” the Radio Edit without Rap, the Topnotch TOX Remix and the “Through The Rain” music video. The second Maxi Single, also an Enhanced CD, includes the Album Version, the Remix, the Copenhaniacs Remix and the “Boy (I Need You)” music video.

France

France saw the release of two exclusive CD Singles. CD 1 includes the Album Version and the Radio Edit of the Remix featuring Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Jimmy Jones and Freeway. CD 2 was a Limited Edition Enhanced CD including the Album Version, the Remix featuring Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Jimmy Jones and Freeway, the Copenhaniacs Remix and the “Boy (I Need You)” music video.

United Kingdom

“Boy (I Need You)” was released on March 24, 2003, in the United Kingdom. CD 1 was an Enhanced CD containing the “Boy (I Need You)” music video and three versions of the song: No Rap Version, Copenhaniacs Remix and an exclusive UK remix by Panjabi Hit Squad. CD 2 comes with a free poster and includes the Album Version and three remixes: Street Remix, Topnotch L8 Mix and Topnotch TOX Mix. “Boy (I Need You)” was also released on 12" Vinyl including the Album Version, the Street Mix, the Panjabi Hit Squad Mix and the Topnotch TOX Mix.

Australia

In Australia, “Boy (I Need You)” was released April 14, 2003. The Enhanced CD comes with a bonus poster and includes the song's music video, the Maurice Joshua Club Mix of “Through The Rain” and three versions of “Boy (I Need You)” — Album Version, Remix featuring Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Jimmy Jones and Freeway and the exclusive remix by The Duke & MVP from Disco Montego.

Available on

Lyrics

Album Version

I can't help it
When I'm not around you (boy)
Cause all I ever seem to do is drift away
In dreams about you
Cause when I'm without you (boy)
It always seems like part of me is missing baby

Sometimes I don't call
Like I don't care at all
But secretly, you're the only thing
That lifts me up and makes me smile
When I'm unhappy
All you gotta do is call
And suddenly things don't really
Seem so bad at all

(boy) I need you (boy) adore you (boy)
Gotta have you (oh boy)
I wanna feel your touch
This ain't no little crush
So come and get my love
Baby anything you want
Feeling you (boy)
Fiending for you (boy)
Just waiting on you (boy)
When I see you (oh boy)
I'm gonna wrap you up
Inside my love
And never let you go boy
Never let you go boy

My heart races when my Motorola beeps
Or my cell rings
I just make a wish and if it's you
My whole day changes
Cause when I know you're thinking of me (boy)
Heaven knows
Suddenly it's not so dismal baby

Sometimes I don't call
Like I don't care at all
But secretly, you're the only thing
That lifts me up and makes me smile
When I'm unhappy
All you gotta do is call
And suddenly things don't really
Seem so bad at all

(boy) I need you (boy) adore you (boy)
Gotta have you (oh boy)
I wanna feel your touch
This ain't no little crush
So come and get my love
Baby anything you want
Feeling you (boy)
Fiending for you (boy)
Just waiting on you (boy)
When I see you (oh boy)
I'm gonna wrap you up
Inside my love
And never let you go boy
Never let you go boy

Cam'ron:
Mami feelin' my gangsta cause usually I stay on the block
But the girl wet whirl jet, straight to the yacht
Eighth in the sock, jewelry, chrome and stones
Wow it's Giles, Liles, Combs and Jones
Go to Capri, see my mami Mariah
Chanel glasses, had me on fire
Mami's a rider
She want the (boy)
So I give her the (boy)
Now she screamin' out (boy, boy, boy, boy)
She want the hundred carat (boy)
The Harlem world (boy)
My arm is savage, better guard ya girl (boy)
So c-c-c-c-c-call me
And we'll start to cake up
Marc Jacobs, you're a heartbreaker
Good (boy)
I'm a mobster and pimp
Eight keys, two hammers, lobster and shrimp
Look at my limp, mami we could be a couple still (boy, boy, boy, boy)
Sing my hook, help me sell a couple mill
Now sing (boy)

I — (what?)
Need — (who?)
You — (uh huh uh huh)
I wanna feel your touch — (why wouldn't you)
So come and get my love — (show me where it's at — now sing)
I — (what?)
Need — (who?)
You — (uh huh uh huh)
I'm gonna wrap you up (wrap me up)
And never let you go boy
Never let you go boy (never let me go, girl)

(boy) I need you (boy) adore you (boy)
Gotta have you (oh boy)
I wanna feel your touch
This ain't no little crush
So come and get my love
Baby anything you want
Feeling you (boy)
Fiending for you (boy)
Just waiting on you (boy)
When I see you (oh boy)
I'm gonna wrap you up
Inside my love
And never let you go boy
Never let you go boy


Written by Mariah Carey, Justin Smith and Norman Whitfield.
Produced by Just Blaze and Mariah Carey.

Remix

Feels so good, oh baby

Cam'ron:
I see my ma' Mimi in Waikiki
With the Marabou slippers I kick it
It's Mary Poppins in the Harry Winston and the
World ain't ready for your La Perla teddy
And I'm thrilled to have you
Can't keep a L but it's well
How you rock Van Cleef & Arpels
Château le Tour or Château Lafite
Lounge on the shore, mags on the beach
Cats on the streets, friends on the block
Back on my feet, Cam's on the clock
Army with two liners but it's you shinin'
Why you need pink you got blue diamonds

Mariah:
I can't help it when I'm not around you
Cause all I ever seem to do is drift away
In dreams about you
Cause when I'm without you
It always seems like part of me is missing baby

Sometimes I don't call
Like I don't care at all
But secretly, you're the only thing
That lifts me up and makes me smile
When I'm unhappy
All you gotta do is call
And suddenly things don't really
Seem so bad at all

I need you
Adore you (Oh boy)
I wanna feel your touch
This ain't no little crush
So come and get my love
Baby anything you want
Feelin' you
Fiendin' for you
Just waitin' on you (Oh boy)
I'm gonna wrap you up
Inside my love
And never let you go boy
Never let you go boy

My heart races when my Motorola beeps
Or my cell rings
I just make a wish and if it's you
My whole day changes
Cause when I know you're thinking of me (boy)
Heaven knows
Suddenly it's not so dismal baby

I need you
Adore you (Oh boy)
I wanna feel your touch
This ain't no little crush
So come and get my love
Baby anything you want
Feelin' you
Fiendin' for you
Just waitin' on you (Oh boy)
I'm gonna wrap you up
Inside my love
And never let you go boy
Never let you go boy

Juelz Santana / Jimmy Jones:
Who else you know got the world behind her
It's the (oh boy) and your girl Mariah
The whole world's Mariah's
It's the one and only girl that you girls admire
So just carry along
And please no fussin, no fightin, no carryin on
Just leave, you could have everything
But my weed or Mariah Carey CDs
Carry the breeze wit ya
It's the
Told ya
That I was here with a princess
She just another name that appears on my hit list
Girl I won't miss shit, pop
We got the people askin'
Cause we been seen in Aspen
In the pool house hot tub and steam relaxing
Leap back action my cream just stacking
DipSet, holla girl, it's all a dream, we laughin'

Mariah / Cam'ron: I (what) need (who) you (aha, aha)
I wanna feel your touch (Why wouldn't you)
So come and get my love (Show me where it's at, now sing)
I (What) need (Who) you (Aha, aha)
I'm gonna wrap you up (Wrap me up)
And never let you go boy (Never let me go, girl)

Freeway:
It's hard to put it all on one-sixteen I'm gone
I six fiends what went wrong
Cops came from everywhere
And I couldn't run, the block too long
But now I'm in here and the block too short
My time too long
But they can't break me
My crowd too strong
Got peoples on the outside looking out
But no looking in, the war's too strong
I mean you out there without me it just ain't right
You folks always say somethin' about me
It just ain't right
Now they know I'm in love with the dough
Moving the snaps so we could go I just broke night
Now I'm freakin the led on the pistol tryn'a find you ok
Yeah, It's Mariah and Free, Just Blaze beats
Only different Free in the cling
And I'll be home but for now all I do is call
But you got a letter just to tell you what I think, holla

I need you
Adore you (Oh boy)
I wanna feel your touch
This ain't no little crush
So come and get my love
Baby anything you want
Feelin' you
Fiendin' for you
Just waitin' on you (Oh boy)
I'm gonna wrap you up
Inside my love
And never let you go boy
Never let you go boy


Written by Mariah Carey, Justin Smith, Norman Whitfield, Marlon Williams and Marcell Hall.
Produced by Just Blaze and Mariah Carey. Co-produced by Marley Marl.